For NICE, a licence count is the beginning of a billing calculation. The agent models in NICE CXone suites and agent licence models feed commitments that the customer agreed to for the Subscription Term, and the Invoicing Policy then sets when and how any difference between commitment and actual use is billed. The pricing page itself summarises the intended model as monthly billing in arrears, no prepay and no surprise charges, with a usage-based, tiered structure.[5] The contract documents are more specific and differ by offering type.
Editions
The Invoicing Policy distinguishes offering types, and the commitment type determines the invoice rhythm:[2]
| Offering and model | Invoice frequency | Variance | Renewal invoicing |
|---|---|---|---|
| NiCE CXone, CXone Integrated and Network Connectivity, MRC model | Monthly in arrears for the Minimum MRC | Monthly in arrears | Monthly in arrears |
| NiCE CXone, CXone Integrated and Network Connectivity, ARC model | Monthly in arrears for actual usage; annually in arrears for the Minimum ARC | Annually in arrears | Monthly in arrears |
| NiCE CX (Engage, ICM, NPM), annual model | 100% in advance from the Initiation Date | Annually in arrears | 60 days before the anniversary of the Initiation Date |
| NiCE CX (WFM, EEM, APA, NX, QC, CR), annual model | 100% in advance | Monthly in arrears at 120% of the per unit Minimum Commitment fee | 60 days before the anniversary |
| NiCE CXone, CXone AI Agent (Cognigy) and Network Connectivity, usage-based | Monthly in arrears on actual usage | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| NiCE AI Agents for Proactive Engagement (Cognigy), usage-based | Monthly in arrears on actual usage | Annually in arrears; Overage Conversations at 130% of the per-Conversation price | 60 days before the anniversary of the Order Effective Date |
The policy lists further rows for non-recurring charges, professional services, perpetual software and support. Software (perpetual licence) and annual support are invoiced 100% in advance, with support renewal invoiced 60 days before each renewal term.[2] Catalog rows: Minimum MRC commitment, Minimum ARC commitment, Usage-based CXone billing and Annual model for NiCE CX cloud services.
The terms use two solution-family labels. The MRC and ARC rows apply to the NiCE CXone and NiCE CXone Integrated families, and the annual-model rows apply to the NiCE CX family, a distinction that also decides which address must receive a non-renewal notice.[1]
Metrics
Three definitions in the Cloud Services Terms of Use matter for commitments. The Minimum MRC is the minimum monthly recurring charges the customer must pay for the Cloud Services, excluding non-recurring charges (NRC, for example professional services) and Network Connectivity charges, for the duration of the Subscription Term. The Minimum ARC is the same for each annual period. A Minimum Commitment is the minimum committed amount, expressed in units or currency, of Cloud Services on the order.[3] The Invoicing Policy defines Variance, for the CXone families, as the difference between actual spend for Cloud Services, excluding NRC and network connectivity, and the Minimum Commitment, measured monthly (MRC) or annually (ARC), and, for the NiCE CX family, as the number of licences used in excess of the Minimum Commitment.[2]
On a concurrent agent model, the Minimum Committed Number of Concurrent Users is the monthly floor, and any concurrent user above it, in excess of the Minimum MRC, is billed at NiCE’s then-current list price.[3] See Concurrent User.
Counting / floors
Build-up period, Initiation Date and Commencement Date
Billing does not start on signature. The Initiation Date is the earliest of NiCE’s notice that the Cloud Services are available, the customer’s use of the Cloud Services in Production, or three months after the Effective Date of the Transaction Document. The Commencement Date is the first day of the calendar month following the Initiation Date, or, for services with a Build-Up Period, the end of that period; during the Build-Up Period the customer has limited non-production access for implementation, onboarding, configuration, testing and training.[3] The Invoicing Policy states that the customer is invoiced on actual usage for the period between the Initiation Date and the Commencement Date.[2] A licence manager should record both dates, because the commitment clock and the first invoices follow them. See Build-Up Period and Commencement Date.
Commitment is a floor for the whole term
Transaction Documents are non-cancellable and non-refundable. If the customer stops using the Services during the Subscription Term it remains liable for all amounts payable for the remainder of the term, including all amounts subject to a minimum commitment, and gets no refund.[1] Reducing agent counts mid-term therefore does not reduce a Minimum MRC or Minimum ARC unless the Transaction Document says so.
Payment and disputes
NICE invoices under the Invoicing Policy and fees are due within thirty days of the invoice date, with interest at one and one-half percent per month, or any lesser amount the law requires, from the due date. NICE may suspend delivery, access or performance until past-due amounts are paid. A bona fide invoice dispute must be notified in writing within sixty days of the invoice date, otherwise the right to dispute is waived.[1] If a final invoice is unpaid within its payment period, the customer is liable for liquidated damages equal to two times the final invoice plus collection costs.[1]
Virtualization & partitioning
Not applicable to cloud commitments. The partition for charges is the Business Unit, an independent, billable software instance of the Cloud Services, within which the customer is responsible for all activity and charges including telephony and network connectivity.[1] Commitments and variance are measured per Transaction Document, and each Transaction Document is a separate contract even when an Affiliate signs it.[1]
Cloud / BYOL
There is no bring-your-own-licence option for CXone. Telephony and network connectivity are charged separately: Network Connectivity is defined as services that connect the customer’s agent location to the NICE platform or that enable telephone calls and other communication, and it is excluded from the Minimum MRC and ARC.[3] The Invoicing Policy also states that, where NICE or the customer is in the United States or Canada, the carrier of record for regulated telecommunications services is inContact, Inc.[2]
Programs
Renewal and price increases
The initial Subscription Term renews for additional periods equal in length to the expiring term, and the fees for each renewal term may be increased by the greater of five percent or the most recent annual increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).[1] At least 60 days before the end of the term either party may give a written Non-Renewal Notice, or the customer may ask to renew for a different length. For CXone and CXone Integrated services the customer’s notice must be sent to a specified NICE contract-unsubscribe mailbox, and for NiCE CX services to a different specified mailbox; notice sent by any other method is not a valid Non-Renewal Notice.[1] A customer that fails to give notice is responsible for payment in full for the next renewal term, even if it has not issued a purchase order.[1] See Automatic renewal with price increase.
The same terms say that, where a Transaction Document conflicts with the Terms and Conditions, the Terms and Conditions prevail unless the Transaction Document specifically states that named terms supersede them, and that customer purchase orders do not supersede them.[1] Any renewal flexibility must therefore be written into the order in explicit terms.
Updates and support
Major and minor releases are delivered during the Subscription Term, and the customer is required to implement the most current Update provided.[3] The customer appoints two Designated Contacts who have completed NiCE training, and cases are classified from Critical (S1, target initial response 60 minutes, 24x7x365) to Low (S4, next business day).[3]
Service level guarantee
NICE publishes a 99.99% monthly availability guarantee for CXone. If average actual availability in a month falls below the thresholds in its credit table, the customer can request a credit within 30 days after the month, and the maximum credit in any billing period cannot exceed 100% of the aggregate MRC billed that month. Credits are waived to the extent availability was affected by the customer’s acts or omissions, including if its financial account is not in good standing.[4] NICE also publishes a Mean Opinion Score commitment of 3.9 for voice services with credits if the average falls below it.[4] See CXone SLA Guarantee and credits.
Out of scope
This article does not give the percentage tiers in the SLA credit table, the telecommunications tariffs and rates for voice and SMS, taxes outside the United States, EMEA withholding rules, or the limitation of liability beyond the point that the cap does not limit NiCE’s recovery of payment for use in excess of the quantity purchased.[1] Customer-specific rates and ramp schedules appear only on the Transaction Document.